The Hyderabad wing of Natya Tarangini, an organisation promoting classical arts under Gurus Raja Radha Reddy and their lineage Yamini Reddy, has come up with a unique workshop that would focus on the various aspects related to classical dance, which includes music, rhythm, lighting, body movement through yoga and appreciation of dance.
Says Guru Raja Reddy, “India is known world over for its rich heritage and culture. I can say that dance touches every part of a performer right from “eyebrows” to the “toe”. Rasa Anubhuti is all about internalising the experience and it takes the performer and the audience from “known to the unknown”. Any script, music or dance has this element of rasa, which needs to be understood by all dancers.”
Says Yamini Reddy, daughter of Guru Raja Reddy, “I have always seen my father speak on the various aspects of dance and the holistic approach to dance. The purpose of this workshop is to create “thinking dancers”. They need to also know the history of dance form and how yoga can also help in dance. Some of these subjects would be covered by dance scholars Dr Anuradha Jonnalagadda and Dr Yashoda Thakore.
Says K. Rajagopalacharya, wellknown mridangam artiste, who has accompanied many top ranking classical dancers in India and abroad. “Giving rhythm for a dance performance has always been a challenge. When we accompany a vocalist, we normally follow the Kriti and the pattern of Swaras. While in a Bharatanatyam dance performance, the Jatis and footwork are moving in two different directions and we have to weave a third path balancing the rhythm. The mathematics in footwork, calculations and writing of notations are some of the areas which would be explained in detail at this workshop. As far as the instrument is concerned, I had an opportunity to learn from my father K. Sudershanacharya, who was always hailed as a teacher who literally set up a “factory churning out young mridangam artistes”.
Lighting plays a very important role in any dance production. And Y. Basava Raju says, “I have been a light designer for many dance productions. Many a times, my experience has resulted in the enhancement of the visual beauty of the dance productions. It’s also important to use certain “colours” while a certain “mood” or part of an epic is being performed.” Dr K.Sheshulatha, performer and Carnatic vocalist, speaks about the importance of music in a dancer’s journey. Says Sheshulatha, “There is a very strong linkage between the Nava Rasas (Nine emotions) portrayed by a dancer and the emotions invoked through different raagas. There are many raagas which can convey the different emotions of life. It is very important for every dancer to have knowledge of the same.”
